Invoking desire is like throwing a libido bomb – the result is going to be an explosion of emotional anarchy. No one escapes the chaos. In so far as one has to tear down the old temple (or government) before raising up the new one, desire will do the job nicely. Totalitarian rule is the systematic canceling and nullification of empathy, indeed of the possibility of empathy.
A significant aspect of the interest in relating empathy and the reading of fiction is to make the world a better place. Read some quality fiction; expand one’s empathy; and take action to improve the world. Wouldn’t it be nice?
Surveys show that most people think that empathy is compassion. The world certainly needs more compassion, but it is not synonymous with empathy. Empathy tells you what the other person is experiencing as a vicarious experience, and not an identification; compassion (and ethics) tells you what to do about it. Empathy is oxygen for the soul. If one is feeling short of breath at the end of the school year or business cycle, it is possible that they are in need of expanded empathy.
Here are twelve (12) top radio shows on empathy. Lou Agosta interviews thought leaders in the community about work they are doing that expands empathy. Note: interviews are edited to delete the commercials. Biographical information about the speaker and interviewer… Read More ›
The idea is to pause for a moment and consider the relationship of empathy trends and predictions. I include empathy as an enabler or something enabled in diverse forms of relatedness. Now admittedly, so many of my predictions for last… Read More ›
The city of Venice itself is the most significant symbol in Thomas Mann’s story. Even in 1912, when Death in Venice was published, Venice was sinking into the swamp on which in was built, sinking back into the unexpressed in the sense of… Read More ›
Three criteria are front and center in selecting a psychotherapist: empathy, schedule, and cost. I might say “empathy, empathy, and empathy,” but cost and schedule are important too. Absent a warm empathic, gracious and generous listening, many people find that psychotherapy is indistinguishable from going to the dentist – i.e., painful. When delivered in a context of empathy, psychotherapy can make a difference in getting unstuck, eliminating or reducing emotional upset, and expanding possibilities for personal growth. My commitment is to deliver empathy.
For complete review, click here: GoldbergAnalyticFailureReview2014 Short Review: Two thumbs up. The power of Arnold Goldberg’s approach in The Analysis of Failure: An Analysis of Failed Cases in Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis (Routledge) is twofold. First, if a practice or method cannot… Read More ›
This educational video explores empathy in the listening and speaking of the community of psychologists, psychotherapists, and those committed to emotional and human well-being. That about covers it. Where is empathy present and where is it missing? Should one expect… Read More ›
Abstracts for presentations addressing these issues and not exceeding 600 words should be sent to the conference secretary martin.gunnarson@sh.se no later than the 15 of April. Final program will be distributed in May.
Empathy Lessons 